Famed for its stunning deep violet colour, amethyst is the birthstone of February. This gemstone is also used to jewellery gifts for 6th and 17th wedding anniversaries.
This instantly recognisable gemstone is a member of the quartz family and is linked to qualities of health, peace, courage and stability.
For many years, amethysts were as highly valued as diamonds and even favoured by royalty. Today, they are affordable gemstones that are widely available in different shapes and sizes, making them even more popular.
Amethyst is the purple variety of the quartz mineral species. It’s the gem that’s most commonly associated with the colour purple, even though there are other purple gems such as sapphire and Tanzanite. A more reddish purple amethyst is sometimes referred to as “raspberry” amethyst.
The finest amethyst colour is a strong reddish purple or purple with no visible colour zoning. If the colour is too dark, an amethyst might look black under dim lighting conditions.